


Taming the Owlbear

by cynicsAxiom



Category: Baldur's Gate
Genre: Adopting an Owlbear, F/F, Lae'zel Opens Up, Lae'zel Pets a Dog, Minor Spoilers, minor character spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:27:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28120137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynicsAxiom/pseuds/cynicsAxiom
Summary: When the party splits up to search for a missing druid, you get the chance to spend some quality time with Lae'zel, and work out a little "cultural exchange."
Relationships: Lae'zel (Baldur's Gate)/Original Female Character(s), Lae'zel (Baldur's Gate)/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	Taming the Owlbear

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, BG3 is still in early access, but I'll be damned if I don't show a little love for my girl Lae'zel <3

The moon hangs high in the night sky as you stroll into camp, stretching your arms. You let out a weighty sigh as your muscles relax. Drawing nearer to the campfire, you notice your companions all seated in a circle, all silently eating. You smile at these people, these strange friends of yours, with whom you share your strange trauma. It’s been a few days now since the six of you managed to escape the wreckage of the Nautiloid, and a few days since you all managed to find one another and band together. You come over to the circle and find a space to sit in between Gale and Shadowheart.

“Ah!” Gale beams. “Welcome back, friend! Would you like something to eat? I had just finished cooking.”

You nod and he hands you a small wooden bowl, filling it with a delicious-smelling stew. You take a bite and smile.

“Good, eh?” Gale grins. “The ingredient selection around these parts is fairly limited, but a few choice substitutions here and there, and voila! A fine stew, if I do say so myself.”

“Your cooking’s fantastic, Gale,” Wyll nods. “In fact, I’d say it’s almost as good as the time this woman I’d saved from a pack of Goblins—”

“Please, Wyll, spare us,” Shadowheart groans. “I, for one, have had enough of your stories for tonight.”

Wyll frowns, dejected, and goes back to eating.

“Are you well, Astarion?” Gale asks. “You don’t look to have had any of your stew.”

“Oh, I’m quite fine, thank you,” Astarion drawls. “I… fed a little while ago, so I’m not particularly hungry.”

“Suit yourself,” Gale shrugs.

You sit around the campfire together, eating and drinking, and your companions all seem to be in relatively good humor, save for one. Across from you, her arm laying across a knee pulled up to her chest, sits Lae’zel. Her face pokes up over the tongue-tips of Gale’s small cooking fire, and you watch her stare intently into the flames as the light flickers and dances across her visage. She senses your lingering gaze and flicks her eyes up to meet yours. There is a hunger in them, and your mind jumps to thoughts of prowling creatures stalking their prey.

Astarion yawns.

“Well, it’s getting rather late,” he simpers. “I think we ought to get some sleep before any ‘big adventures’ we might have tomorrow.

“I agree,” Gale nods. “We should rest. Rally our strength. We will pick up our search for the druid first thing in the morning.”

The group murmurs in agreement, and people begin to rise from the fire and wander off toward their respective corners and bedrolls. Soon, it’s just you and Lae’zel. Her cat-like, amber eyes are still fixed on you, her mouth covered behind her forearm. You ask what she’s thinking about, but she just snorts derisively and turns away.

Lae’zel rises, staring down at you in silence. Her Githyanki battle armor gleams brilliantly in the fire light, and her severe expression is made even more intense by the stark shadows streaking across her face.

“Rest while you can,” she spits at you. “But remember that each night could be your last.”

Lae’zel stalks away, trudging over toward her small tent. You watch her go from your seat by the fire.

***

The next morning, your party decides to split up.

“We can cover more ground that way,” Gale explains.

“It’ll be dangerous,” Wyll frowns. “These woods are crawling with Goblins, Gnolls, and gods-know-what else. Going it alone is a bad idea.”

“He’s right,” Gale nods. “We should all stay in pairs.”

After a quick discussion, it is decided that Astarion and Shadowheart will stay behind and guard the camp while Gale and Wyll search the area north of the Druid’s Grove, and you and Lae’zel search to the west. Lae’zel mutters something under her breath, but agrees to go with you.

The two of you trek through the woods for about an hour. The trees are tall, and their branches wide, leaving only dappled light to slip between the cracks in the canopy and shine down on the forest floor. The earth is soft and loamy beneath your boots, and the air smells like fresh rain. After a while, Lae’zel sighs loudly, prompting you to turn around to look at her.

“Why are we stumbling around in the woods like this?” she glowers. “We should be looking for a _crèche_.”

You try to explain to her that the druids are perhaps your best option at the moment, and that Halsin should be able to help with the tadpoles if you can find him, but she seems unimpressed.

“Impossible,” she shakes her head. “There is no mere _healer_ powerful enough to perform the necessary procedure. Our only hope is a _crèche_.”

You tell her to be patient, you’ll get through this together. Lae’zel just scoffs and fixes you with her steely gaze.

“There is no time for ‘patience!’” Lae’zel snarls. “Do you think the _ghaik_ will be ‘patient’ and wait for us to find assistance? Their tentacles are spreading across our minds as we speak, ready to _split_ open our skulls at any moment! If we do not find a _crèche_ soon, we _will_ undergo ceremorphosis; by which time, it will be too late for any of us.”

You frown. Studying Lae’zel’s face, her furrowed brow, her curled lip, her bared fangs, you sense more than mere frustration. The anger in her voice is tinged with something else—uncertainty or, perhaps, fear.

You place a reassuring hand on her shoulder and match her gaze. You swear to her that you’ll make it through this, and that if anything happens, you won’t hesitate to kill the both of you. You hope it won’t come to that, of course, but, live or die, you are in this together now.

Lae’zel’s expression seems to soften a bit upon hearing this, though it is still undoubtedly severe.

“I pray to Vlaakith you are right,” she grumbles. “For all of our sakes.”

As you smile and back away from Lae’zel, you hear a faint barking. You turn towards the sound and hear it again, coming from further along the forest path. You raise an eyebrow at Lae’zel before beckoning her to follow you.

You both tramp through the undergrowth until you reach a small clearing. Looking ahead, you see the body of a Human man lying face-down in a pool of dirt and blood, his back peppered with Goblin arrows. At his side is a scruffy dog, who barks as you and Lae’zel enter the clearing. His pink tongue lolls from his black muzzle, which fades into a coat of short, light grey fur. The dog’s piercing amber eyes stare at you cautiously as you approach. You move closer to the body and the dog begins to growl. You stop, careful not to provoke him.

“Why have you stopped?” Lae’zel asks. “You could easily kill this creature.”

You wave a hand dismissively, quieting her while maintaining eye contact with the dog. Slowly, you move into a crouch. Once you are eye-level with him, you carefully reach out a hand. The dog does not budge, but continues to fix you with his eyes. As he barks again, you notice the flash of a brown, leather collar. Leaning over to get a better look at it, you see the name “Scratch” etched along its length. You click your tongue and call Scratch by his name. Scratch cocks his head at you, whining. You offer him your hand again, and this time he pads over to sniff it. You run your other hand over the back of his fuzzy head, giving him a nice pat. Scratch wags his tail and barks happily.

“This is nonsense,” Lae’zel scoffs. “Do you plan to befriend every wild animal we encounter in these woods?”

You turn over your shoulder and tell her that she should try petting him.

“Absolutely not.”

You urge her to reconsider, telling her to just get down and hold out her hand. She grimaces at you for a moment, her brows heavily furrowed, but she does as you say. You rise and move out of the way, letting Scratch get a good look at Lae’zel. He seems more curious about her; no doubt he’s never seen a Githyanki before. She is stiff, and somewhat intimidating, as she nervously holds her hand out to him.

“Come to me, beast,” she mutters. “I will not kill you… yet.”

Scratch steps over to her with great care, sniffing her palm slowly and deliberately. You notice Lae’zel begin to relax a bit as the dog’s wet nose grazes her hand. You mimic petting the dog, encouraging her to give him a nice rub. She nods tentatively and slowly reaches her free hand toward Scratch’s ear. With the tips of her fingers, Lae’zel give the dog a quick scratch, then another, and soon the two of them are thoroughly enjoying themselves. As the faintest hint of a smile begins to break through Lae’zel’s stone-faced façade, Scratch barks excitedly and jumps on her, knocking her over. You can’t help but laugh as Scratch licks Lae’zel’s face, ignoring her squirming and protestations.

“No! Get away! Off, beast!”

As you help Lae’zel scramble out from under Scratch and stagger to her feet, your attention is suddenly turned to a ferocious _ROAR_ in the distance. All three of you turn towards the direction where the sound came from; Scratch whimpers, and Lae’zel’s expression hardens once more.

You say it sounds like someone could be in trouble, and you start toward the origin of the noise, Lae’zel and Scratch trailing close behind. Jogging down a mild slope, the sound of rushing water begins to grow louder all around you. You soon find yourselves at the banks of a shallow river, running down from somewhere further up the hill and past a wide cave mouth. You hear another deafening roar echo from within the cave, and soon three figures dash out of it and slosh across the river. You watch the two Humans carry what looks like a wounded Dwarf between them as they rush away from the cave, and moments later, you discover the creature they were running from. Barreling out of the cave and onto the riverbank is a massive, adult Owlbear. The creature’s black-and-brown plumage ruffles and bristles as it lets out another screeching cry, and you quickly begin to move away. Before you can escape, however, Scratch growls and lets out a sharp bark. The Owlbear turns to you, its eyes burning with primal fury.

As you draw your shortbow, Lae’zel leaps toward the Owlbear with a fierce battle cry. Brandishing her longsword, she delivers a heavy blow to the creature’s shoulder, causing it to screech in pain. Using Lae’zel’s attack as a distraction, you put a little distance between you and the Owlbear and, targeting its weak spots, unleash a volley of arrows. The arrowheads easily pierce through the Owlbear’s hide. Scratch barks once more and bounds towards the creature, snapping at it and biting one of its legs. The creature rears up on its hind legs, still screeching, side-swiping Lae’zel and knocking her off her feet. Shaking its other paw, the Owlbear flings Scratch across the clearing, sending him flying into a nearby tree trunk. Scratch lets out a sad whine as his body collides with the dense wood, and he slumps to the ground.

“ _NOOOOO_ ,” Lae’zel screams, rallying.

In a burst of furious energy, she makes another slash against the Owlbear’s side before plunging her blade into its chest. You quickly drop your bow and draw your twin short swords, dashing over to help Lae’zel. Driving your first blade into its gut, you hear it let out a horrific shriek; the second blade slices through the creature’s neck, quickly silencing its death rattle. The Owlbear’s corpse collapses to the ground in a furry, feathered heap. Clutching her side, Lae’zel drops her sword and falls to one knee.

You run over to help her, but she waves you away.

“I will be fine,” she insists. “The _k’ya_ did not damage me too severely.”

Lae’zel rises slowly, gritting her teeth. Her breathing is shallower, and it looks like she’s broken a few ribs. You tell her to rest a moment, but she snarls at you and staggers over to where Scratch is lying at the base of the tree. She kneels down at his side and runs her hand along his stomach.

“A potion,” she calls back to you. “Quickly!”

You hurry over to her side and offer her a healing potion from your bag. She takes the glass bottle and unstoppers it, lifting Scratch’s head and pouring it into his panting mouth. His breaths are ragged, but as the red liquid slides down his throat, he seems to stabilize.

“Good,” Lae’zel sighs with relief. “You will live to fight another day.”

Scratch rolls over onto his stomach and barks up at her, his tail starting to wag again.

“You are a brave warrior,” Lae’zel asserts, clutching the sides of his face. “With proper training, you might even make a fine _kith’rak_ someday.”

Scratch whines happily and licks Lae’zel’s face.

You watch this scene unfold with a broad smile on your face.

_Lae’zel’s really warmed up to him,_ you think. It’s nice to see her like this, showing that she really _is_ capable of affection. It affirms what you’ve suspected all along; beneath her stony exterior is a passionate warmth, just waiting to be coaxed out. You watch Lae’zel rub Scratch’s face happily before turning back to the Owlbear.

To your surprise, you see yet another creature emerge from the cave mouth. It is another Owlbear, though much younger. It looks no more than a couple months old, its feathers still downy and fluffed. You feel a tinge of guilt as it plods over to the corpse of its mother and begins to peck at her.

“Another one,” Lae’zel growls. “Quickly, kill it!”

You protest, telling her it’s just a baby.

“ _T’rac_ ,” Lae’zel rolls her eyes. “It will not stay that way forever. Now kill it, while we have the advantage.”

You turn toward the baby Owlbear. You know Lae’zel is right; Owlbears are dangerous, and you’ve never known them to be particularly inclined toward domestication. There’s a difference, you tell yourself, between adopting an orphaned dog and an orphaned Owlbear. But staring into its wide, yellow eyes, you can’t bring yourself to harm the poor thing. You turn back to Lae’zel, a plea written across your face, and she pauses a moment to think.

“I _suppose,_ ” she sighs, finally, “that if properly trained, it might make a decent ally in battle. Or, at the very least, a capable guard for the camp.”

You face breaks out into a grin once more, and you kneel down to the Owlbear’s level. You click your tongue and hold out your hand, hoping to draw it over to you.

***

That night, you return to camp to find the rest of your companions talking near the fire. They all turn toward you as you come through the tree line and enter into the clearing.

“Ah, you’re back!” Gale holds out his arms. “Just in time, too! Wyll and I were just telling the others about—Wait, what is _that?_ ”

Your bag wriggles about wildly as you set it down on the ground. You unlatch the top flap and peel it back, revealing a baby Owlbear. The cub bursts into the clearing and begins to run and hop around wildly. Your companions jump back in surprise as the cub dashes past them and around the natural rock formations near the campsite.

“Where in the _hells_ did you find that thing?” Shadowheart cries.

You explain what happened to the others and Gale shakes his head in disbelief.

“You two are lucky to be alive,” he says. “Speaking of which, where’s Lae’zel?”

Just then, the clearing is thrown into chaos once more as a very excited Scratch dashes out from the undergrowth. Seeing all of these unfamiliar people, Scratch barks wildly and runs over to them. Gale, Shadowheart, and Astarion jump back as he approaches, with only Wyll beckoning him over and giving him a playful head rub.

“And just who is _this_ good boy?” Wyll coos, Scratch jumping up on him and barking excitedly.

“Hands off, _graith_ ,” Lae’zel snaps brusquely from the tree line.

Wyll freezes as he looks up at Lae’zel fearfully. She whistles, and Scratch turns his attention away from Wyll immediately.

“ _Ait_ ,” she commands. “Come.”

Scratch obediently scampers over to her and sits down by her side. She smirks at the rest of the camp pridefully.

“Well, any more pets, and we might as well call ourselves a menagerie,” Astarion jokes with a flourish.

You look over to see the Owlbear cub settled on a rock perched above the rest of the camp. You turn and look at Lae’zel, who is once again playing with Scratch. Then you turn back to the rest of the group and motion for everyone to convene around the campfire.

“Right,” Gale nods. “Now, as I was saying, Wyll and I stumbled on a clue that might lead us to where Halsin was taken…”

***

Later in the evening, you find yourself sitting on the beach at the edge of camp. The waves lap against the sandy shore, and the sea breeze blows calmingly around you. You are bruised and covered in scratches from trying to wrangle the Owlbear cub earlier, but overall, the day wasn’t so bad. You wonder how many more days like this you have left. For all the fun you’d had, Lae’zel still made an important point. There was no telling how long it would take the Mind Flayer tadpoles to mature, and no way of knowing how soon your bodies would be consumed by the ravenous creatures now wriggling in your brain. Like the cub, the tadpoles weren’t much of a threat now, but one day they would be; when that day comes, you wonder, will you really be ready to do what must be done?

As you ponder, you notice heavy footsteps approach you. You turn around to see Lae’zel, her brows furrowed. She sits down next to you on the sand and stares out over the open water.

“I have not yet seen the Astral Plane,” she says after a pause. “Part of the training process every Githyanki warrior undergoes during their coming-of-age is to fight and kill a _ghaik_ and present its head to Queen Vlaakith. It is a feat only the most skilled warriors can accomplish, and it signals one’s readiness to serve as one of the Queen’s loyal servants.

“My broodmates have no doubt forgotten me already. On top of that, I was captured, compromised by the _ghaik_. I would not blame them if they were to kill me on sight.”

She sighs heavily.

“All I have ever had to work toward is serving Queen Vlaakith as one of her loyal _kith’rak_. To ride my own fiery red dragon into battle, wielding my brilliant silver sword… To bring down hell upon my enemies, be they _graith_ or _ghaik_ —that has always been my calling.

“Now, I find myself in this strange place, cut off from my people, perhaps even my future. _Hrak!_ If we could just find one of my people’s _crèches_ , we might have a chance. I have doubts about your mundane healers; few have as much experience with the _ghaik_ as my people, and even fewer have as much experience with their extermination.”

Lae’zel grinds the sand beneath her with the heel of her boot, glaring bitterly down at the ground. You place a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she turns to you.

“I wanted to express my… appreciation. For what you taught me today. This whole place is… very alien to me. I rarely left my home during my training, and have little experience in dealing with the beings of this place.”

She looks down at her hands and chuckles.

“Though I suppose they bleed just as well as any other.”

Lae’zel leans back and stares up at the stars.

“I would have been fine on my own, of course,” she says matter-of-factly. “But your assistance has proven… adequate, at least in hastening the acclimation process.”

You smile, knowing this is probably the closest Lae’zel has ever gotten to giving you a compliment. She turns to you then, her expression serious, though not as angry as usual.

“You are a capable warrior,” she says. “You fought admirably against the _k’ya_ today, and I was proud to have you at my side. With enough training, your skills might one day rival those of a Githyanki warrior, if only a lesser one.”

You thank her softly. She nods and turns her gaze back to the night sky.

“Should we live to see ourselves rid of these parasites, and should I be welcome back among my people, I would like to show you the place I come from.”

You open your mouth to speak, but Lae’zel silences you.

“There will be no discussion,” she asserts. “It is a great honor for a _graith_ such as yourself to be given a glimpse into the ways of my people. I mean only to demonstrate to you, as one warrior to another, the superior riches of Githyanki culture.”

You smile warmly and tell her that you’d love to learn more about her home. She nods solemnly. For a moment, the two of you sit together on the beach, silently watching the moonlight play on the rolling waves.

“Perhaps,” Lae’zel says hesitantly, “your cultural instruction could begin somewhat sooner.”

She turns to you and you cock an eyebrow.

“I mean to say, the Githyanki have many cultural teachings about passion and… intimacy.”

Her fiery eyes bore into yours as she speaks. You see a familiar hunger in them, and you feel your stomach quiver with anticipation.

“I would very much like to teach you these customs,” she stares at you, her voice level and direct. “Will you accept?”

You nod slowly. It is the only thing you can do, as your throat tightens and your face flushes with blood.

“Come, then,” Lae’zel says, rising. “Let us find a place where we will not… disturb the others.”

You stand as well and take Lae’zel’s hand. She leads you toward a remote corner of the campsite, the ruins of a stone building. As you approach the doorway, she releases you hand and turns to face you.

“Prepare yourself,” she grins. “The Githyanki show mercy to neither their enemies, nor their lovers.”

As she fades into the darkness of the ruins, you turn momentarily toward camp. Your other companions are asleep on their bedrolls, the Owlbear cub is quietly perched on their rock, and Scratch is snuggly curled up by the fire.

_Mind Flayers be damned,_ you think to yourself, a smile crossing your face as you follow Lae’zel into the ruins. _Today has been a good day_.


End file.
